Volcanology of Wisconsin
Wisconsin has become a source of large-scale magmatism since the creation of Discovery Crater in 2021. This is due to a large hotspot located beneath five states, including Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana. However, Wisconsin is the only state that is completely within the hotspot. There is enough magma beneath Wisconsin to fill up the Great Lakes eleven times, making it larger than the mass of magma beneath Yellowstone. Wisconsin is also above an unusually large hotspot, called a super plume, that is slowly growing every year. Because of the constant growth, this causes magmatic and volcanic features to appear on the surface. These include volcanoes, mountains, canyons, and monadnocks. This makes Wisconsin one of the most geologically active areas in the world (By the way, this is all hypothetical, including the geology as a whole. Wisconsin is a place where the most variable thing is the various types of cheese and cow farms.) Wisconsinite Volcanic Series Wisconsin has a special kind of magmatic rock, called Wisconsinite. This type of magma is similar to other ultramafic rocks, like Komatiite and Kimberlite. However, it contains special crystal formations called Ribinspars. These crystals are made of various elements, with hydrogen and sulphur being the most common. However, this depends on how they form. For example, intrusive igneous rocks found in the Boltonville Formation have been shown to have large deposits of iron, gold, palladium, and carbon in the form of diamonds and graphite. Depending on how much the crystals change during their ascent to the surface, it will change the type of eruption as well. If it is heavily changed due to heat, pressure, and mineral contamination(Muspeline), the magma will become more viscous and sticky, resuting in an explosive eruption. If the minerals barely change from their ascent to the surface(Vandaline), the magma will be more smooth and creamy, resulting in a gentle, lava-based effusive eruption. If there is a perfect medium of change, where only heat and pressure cause the crystal to change(Arcaline, Jovuline), the eruption can be various different types, including pyroclastic flows, the formation of lava domes, and aa lava flows. When Ribinspars are released to the surface, they remain crystallized until the lava cools partially into stone. Before the lava completely solidifies, the crystals evaporate due to a release of heat and pressure. When this happens, the gases and liquids released will come out of cracks or holes in the rock, forming unique formations. Some lavas, like those found in the Winnebago Flood Basalt contained Ribinspars made mainly of Oxygen and Hydrogen. This caused major evolutionary changes in animals that once lived near the volcano, including giant beavers the size of large dogs, and horses that were three times larger than known living horse today. Other volcanoes, like the Beechwood Volcano, had Ribinspars made with Sodium, Chlorine, Hydrogen, and Carbon. This resulted in the formation of salt-based lavas, which caused the devastating lake explosion, and the newer lava flows contain methane and propane, which create holes that breath fire as the methane and propane are released, creating Fireholes. Most lava flows release their Ribinspar remnants over hundreds and even thousands of years, slowly decreasing the amount over time. The only known Wisconsinite lava not to have evaporating Ribinspars is Jovulite(also known as Slag) which is a type of volcanic rock that is made up to 80 percent or more of Jovuline Ribinspars. This type of lava is similar in composition to Obsidian(volcanic glass), but is far more durable. This grey, concrete-like lava comes out cool - only about 600 degrees Farenheit at its hottest. The Ribinspars are so condensed from the inside forces of the Earth that they can not evaporate. When this lava erupts from a volcano, it means the end of the volcano's activity. This is because as this viscous lava continues to erupt, it plugs the main vents of the volcano, eventually compacting to the point of solidification within the crater and main throat of the volcanic vent. Soon, the rock solidifies, forming a Jovulitic Dome. '''This makes the volcano inactive until the next wave of magmatism ensues. Wisconsinite Magma Series Intrusive Wisconsinite is not as diverse as the Volcanic Series. There are only two types of intrusive Ribinspars: Jotvaline (Yote-va-leen), and Surtrine. Sutrine is the intrusive equivalent to Arcaline and Vandaline, and is usually found in shallower magmatic regions. Meanwhile, Jotvaline is found in deeper regions, and are the basis of various mountains and the main rock that produces carbonatite lava intrusions. Boundary Faults and Land Formations Wisconsin's igneous land formations are based on a unique type of faulting called a '''Boundary Fault. These types of faults are formed by a plume of magma that reaches the surface and creates an igneous fault line within the Earth's crust. This fault will continue to contain magma until the next surge of magma comes into contact with the distilled magma in the boundary fault. There are a total of four types of boundary faults. Each of these fault types produce and convect in different ways, which makes each of them unique in structure and mechanics. Divergent Fault Divergent boundary faults form when magma from beneath the surface pushes the fault apart, which causes more magma to rise beyond to the softer bedrock above. These faults do not usually spread far, only enough until the magma can get through. This is the fault that is most attributed to volcanic activity. They are also part of some of the largest volcanic eruptions in the world, including the Lake Winnebago eruption 12 million years ago, which produced a lava flow that went as far East as Lake Erie, as far south as Indiana, Iowa, and Ohio, and as far north as the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. This makes it the largest lava flow from a single volcano in the world. They produce both Muspelitic and Vandalitic eruptions, depending on how far spread the rift has become. If the rift is too narrow, it will produce Muspeline, while Vandaline occurs when the fault is far enough apart that mineral contamination and heat and pressure do not affect the crystals. Plutonic Fault A Plutonic Fault can sometimes be characterized similarly to Divergent faults, due to how similar they are in mechanics and formation. Plutonic faults form when Sutrine magma forces its way through a compressed fault with more durable rock. The congestion becomes so great, that although the magma breaks through the fault, it stops advancing upwards due to the toughness of the surrounding rocks, and the thick pressure cap on the rising magma. This forms a pluton. Since the pluton is stuck in the same spot, it will begin to convect itself, becoming a new mass of magma separate from the main hotspot. Surtrine is one of the hottest magmas in the world, reaching temperatures higher than that of most of the Earth's interior. Because of this, Plutons have a tendency to melt bedrock above them, as well as older plutons from older eruptions. When it remelts the old magma, the old magma rises to the surface, it erupts to form a Plutovolcano. So far, only one of these Plutovolcanoes exists, in the form of the Wolf River Volcano in northeastern Wisconsin. It is a pyroclastic shield volcano that, due to the heavy Ribinspar crystals that have contaminated the magma, produce explosive eruptions that are too heavy to be released in the air. Instead, it tumbles down the mountain, in the form of a pyroclastic flow. The volcano was formed when a small pluton formed beneath the much older Wolf River Batholith, and had remelted part of the huge mass of rock, turning the granite and monzonite into Wisconsin Rhyolite and Latite, respectively. Compression Fault Compressed faults form when the convection of magma, due to the Surtrine not being able to pass through at all, is reversed, pulling the fault in instead of out. This results in massive amounts of constant heat and pressure, which actually forms Jotvaline crystals due to the pressure. When the heat and pressure rise, they warp and change the rocks around them, turning them into metamorphic rocks. As the pressure continues, some intrusions might try and make their way to the surface, turning into non-volcanic intrusions called monadnocks. These can also be found in Plutonic Fault Zones. They sometimes form as fault zones for unstable volcanic eruptions, which then contract when the storage of magma is reduced for stability. This creates geothermal areas. In some cases, highly pressurized Jotvaline and Surtrine magma collide with the compression fault from below. The force created is enough to bend the solid bedrock above, eventually forming mountains. These only occur with free-standing Compression Faults, like the Baraboo Fault Group in south-central Wisconsin. Compression Faults are more commonly known for their frequently large earthquakes, which are caused by the constant folding and colliding of the two sides of the Compression Fault. A good example of this is the Boltonville Formation in Southeastern Wisconsin. It was first discovered after reports of magnitude 7 earthquakes were occuring in the small community of Boltonville in Washington County. When the USGS came to test readings in the area, they were shocked when they saw that a small, long hill that extended for more than four miles had suddenly formed. After more testing, they found very condensed amounts of gneiss, slate, quartzite, and marble making the sides of the new hill, surrounding a long belt of various intrusive igneous rocks, including granite, gabbro, and monzonite. This is the newest free-standing Compression Fault, and is also the most active. Extinct Faults Extinct faults are incredibly common within Wisconsin. A fault goes extinct when magma has lost the pressure to continue moving forward, and instead retreats back below the bedrock. When this occurs, the fault's ceiling will collapse, forming a large ravine. This ravine will then continue to grow and sink as the weak volcanic rock begins to weather. Extinct faults are almost always sealed with Jotvaline, which plugs the entire trail to the fault. Because of the Jotvaline and its durability, the fault will be very stable, which means that earthquakes can not occur when the faults are extinct. There are 145 extinct faults within Wisconsin. The two most profound are Long Lake and Green Lake, which are both part of the Winnebago Fault Group. Both of them have collapsed after the last eruption of Winnebago 12 million years ago. They have both been weathered by the elements, especially in the form of glaciers. They are two of the most well preserved extinct faults in the state. Economy and Business Before the discovery of Wisconsin's Volcanics, Wisconsin was very poor in most industries. There most well-made resources were trees, galena, and dairy products. All of these resources are still being produced to this day. However, after the new phase of volcanic activity struck the state, the industry has been completely reversed. This is due to the unique discoveries of elements that have been introduced into the Wisconsin landscape. There are over 100 mines located in the southeast region alone, as well as multiple oil drilling sites across the state. Rare Metals Wisconsinite is one of the richest volcanic ores on the planet. Rare metals are the most common resource within Wisconsin geology. This is because rare metals are common in all forms of ultramafic rock, since the incredible heat within the planet allows for the separation and conglomeration of various elements. In Wisconsin lava rock, there have been discoveries of various metals. At the Diamond Point Volcano on Washington Island, a set of preserved lava flows from 37,000 years ago are glittered in fine nuggets of gold, silver, and copper. Palladium has been discovered in Discovery Crater, as well as a large calcium deposits within the Rim Lava Flows. Even more metals are found beneath the surface, in the form of intrusions. For example, the Boltonville Formation has vast quantities of Zinc, Lithium, Scandium, Titanium, and Radium deposits, especially within and alongside the Compression Zone. Fuel Unusually, some volcanic rocks in Wisconsin are able to produce petroleum, natural gas, and flammable carbon(fossil fuels). This occurs when the Ribinspars in the rock dissolute into gases and liquids, which then erode channels into the weakened rock. Over many hundreds of years, the gas and liquids begin to pool in large underground petroleum and natural gas fields. Some, however, are able to form into springs, where the petroleum is excreted to the surface to form tar pits, petroleum seeps, and asphalt lakes. Some stay beneath the surface, but are able to rise and erupt to the surface, forming mud volcanoes and Tar Volcanoes.'''These types of volcanoes are always found above large pools of petroleum. Meanwhile, when natural gas lies beneath very porous sediments, the gas will erupt to the surface and will have flames shooting out from the burning gas. This is called a '''Firehole. Fireholes are common in areas like the Watertown Lava Flow and just below the flanks of the Beechwood Town Volcano. Another type of gaseous formation occurs when constant bubbling of certain gases(such as Hydrogen, Helium, and Carbon), are released underneath an area of porous sediment, similar to a firehole. However, because of the constant bubbling of the gases, it breaks down the sediments into sand, which then break to the surface to create sandpots, sand volcanoes, and sandpits '''(see Pseudovolcanics). While some of these areas are proctected by the Association of Preservation in Wisconsin (APW), some industries have made oil drilling sites in a few geologically inactive locations, usually near extinct fault groups. So far, they have become one of the largest producers of oil in the Midwest, beating Michigan and Nebraska. Diamonds Diamonds are considered to be the most influential market in Wisconsin's mining industry. This is because Wisconsin has become home to some of the youngest surface diamonds in the world, as well as having the largest variety. The largest free diamonds on Earth have been found in the form of the '''Winnebago Meteorites, which are large chunks of volcanic rock that came from the Winnebago Volcano Eruption 12 million years ago. Meanwhile, the largest diamonds in the world come in the form of the Crystal Pillars, which are large pillars of diamond that have been welded into the rim of the Diamond Point Volcano's massive crater. The diamonds here are so large and so well-preserved, that they would crash the diamond market if ever sold. In order to keep the diamonds safe, many of the meteorites have been used to establish Valley of Diamonds National Park, as well as the largest of the mined diamonds, called the Roc Diamond, was donated to the Milwaukee Public Museum, where it is now shown in a shatter proof glass container in the geology exhibit. Most diamonds formed or mined in the past 25 years have been from present-day magmatism. However, there have been Kimberlite formations found in the Southwest, and one in the South-central part of the state. It was first believed that these diamonds came from glacial till from the last Ice Age. However, it is now known that they were caused by volcanism that had occured between the Early Pleistocene (around 2 million years ago) until around the year 1,000 AD. These were formed by diatremes, or Kimberlite pipes, which are formed from supersonic eruptions of magma, which create a deep crater into the Earth. It is in this pipe that diamonds form. The diamonds that were found in the Southwest came from at least 3 distinct diatremes that had been carved out by glaciers into various areas of lowland. One of these diatremes (called the Erler Lake Formation), erupted during the recedence of the glaciers, and therefore kept itself preserved. However, most of the pipe has been filled in by glacial sediments, making it impossible to mine any of the remaining diamonds out. The last of these diatremes creates the Devil's Lake Formation. The diatreme erupted around 2 million years ago. It was within the Baraboo Range which, at that time, were deep underneath the Earth's surface. The volcanic pipe cut right through the metamorphic rock that made up the Baraboos, throwing most of the erupted material out to the surface. However, most of the volcanic sediments had been eroded away by the glaciers, but the pipe remains due to the much more durable metamorphic rock. Since then, it has filled with water, becoming Devil's Lake. The areas where diamonds occur most today are in the form of intrusive and seismic action. Unlike volcanic diamonds, which form in small pieces and are very rare, magmatic diamonds are much larger in size and population. They are almost always found in compression faults, due to the intense heat and pressure beneath the surface. A good example of underground diamond formations is the Boltonvile Formation, which includes some of the youngest diamonds in the world. Due to the incredible pressure formed by the fault, the diamonds formed in the formation seem to have become incredibly large and compact, creating what are known as Diamond Belts. These belts usually consist of metamorphic rocks like slate and gneiss, which are rich in carbon, like shale. Some other underground diamonds have been found in the Door Penninsula, especially near Rock Island. The island was once a part of an older Diamond Point volcano that blew its top 300,000 years ago. Due to the large explosion, a separation occured in the fault that powered the volcano, which made the northern part of the separated fault, which was under Rock Island, transform into a Compression Fault. Because of these two effects, Rock Island has both extruded volcanic and intrusive belt diamonds. Due to the island being part of Washington Island and the Volcanic Preserve of Wisconsin, the diamonds can not be mined. However, a fisherman who fished on the island was able to free one of the diamonds on the island's south shore. The diamond, now called the Hausen Diamond after its discoverer, was placed in the lobby of the Washington Island Volcanic Observatory and Exhibit in 2027.